Scientists have unearthed a collection of stone tools on the Indonesian island of Sulawesi, potentially rewriting the history of early human migration. The discovery suggests that hominins may have inhabited islands far earlier than previously believed – as much as 1.5 million years ago. This is reported by VNA, a partner of TV BRICS.
Archaeologists uncovered the small, chipped tools, likely used for processing small animals and shaping rocks, buried beneath the soil in the Soppeng region of South Sulawesi. Radioactive dating techniques applied to the tools and animal teeth found at the site indicate an age of up to 1.48 million years.
Previously, the earliest known human settlement in the region, attributed to Homo erectus, was thought to be limited to very few islands, dating back approximately 1.02 million years. The prevailing view held that Homo erectus lacked the capacity for long-distance sea travel, thus limiting their ability to colonise more remote islands. The Sulawesi findings, therefore, significantly challenge this understanding.
Archaeologists believe that the artefacts were crafted by ancient humans who lived on Earth long before the emergence of Homo sapiens. The findings have the potential to transform established theories on early human dispersal throughout the region, the source claims.
Photo: iStock /Â EvgeniyShkolenko
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